They never consider they might see you again....

[Amanda P]

It doesn't have to be a confrontation. A friendly word or two, with a smile (even if you don't feel like smiling) is probably more helpful.

"Morning! Could you leave a bit more space another time, please? Cheers!"

Defensiveness in response is OK - it indicates that the person concerned knows they've done something wrong, even if they don't admit it. "I thought there was plenty of room." "You were perfectly safe, I was never going to hit you." Aggression similarly - why be aggressive if you think everything's as it should be?

The ones who attempt to argue their case are beyond reason. They're wrong, but base their case for being in the right on commonly-held fallacies that you aren't going to reason away quickly. The best you can do is hope to make them question those fallacies.

"You shouldn't have been in the middle of the road". "You were going too fast." "When you pay some road tax...."

It's the bewildered ones that worry me - have no idea who you are, or that anything's amiss. They really shouldn't be driving.

"I never saw you." "Was there a cyclist?" "I never saw a thing - the window was iced up".

 

[classic33]

I have done a few "death stares" in my time resulting from a close pass. Doesnt really do anything but draw the persons attention. Then the lights change and we go our separate ways.

Pictures or your not really doing it.

 

[Matthew_T]

Pictures or your not really doing it.

 

[classic33]

You don't look too well in that picture.

 

[BentMikey]

It's the bewildered ones that worry me - have no idea who you are, or that anything's amiss. They really shouldn't be driving.

Bewilderment is equally a defensive reaction.

 

[Kookas]

It doesn't have to be a confrontation. A friendly word or two, with a smile (even if you don't feel like smiling) is probably more helpful.

"Morning! Could you leave a bit more space another time, please? Cheers!"

Defensiveness in response is OK - it indicates that the person concerned knows they've done something wrong, even if they don't admit it. "I thought there was plenty of room." "You were perfectly safe, I was never going to hit you." Aggression similarly - why be aggressive if you think everything's as it should be?

The ones who attempt to argue their case are beyond reason. They're wrong, but base their case for being in the right on commonly-held fallacies that you aren't going to reason away quickly. The best you can do is hope to make them question those fallacies.

"You shouldn't have been in the middle of the road". "You were going too fast." "When you pay some road tax...."

It's the bewildered ones that worry me - have no idea who you are, or that anything's amiss. They really shouldn't be driving.

"I never saw you." "Was there a cyclist?" "I never saw a thing - the window was iced up".

For some reason, the videos where they accuse the guy of 'going too fast' are the real downers.

Road tax comments are baseless, while 'shouldn't be in the middle' comments are just up-themselves people who believe that everyone should go out of their way to stop and let them past just so that they can get to the office (no doubt the 'first step to rich CEOdom' in their minds) those few seconds sooner. It's the 'going too fast' ones. Something about them is just that little bit more depressing.

Perhaps it's the implied expectation that cyclists should be trundling along at Dutch speeds. I suppose it's a bit of an insult, really - it feels like a subtler way of saying cyclists are too slow, and must stay that way.

 

[jarlrmai]

The middle of the road is the worst one, it basically means "I saw you, I didn't like what you were doing as I feel I am more important than and you and 15-20 seconds of my driving time is more valuable than your safety, so I decided to endanger your life to teach you a lesson."

 

[donnydave]

The middle of the road is the worst one, it basically means "I saw you, I didn't like what you were doing as I feel I am more important than and you and 15-20 seconds of my driving time is more valuable than your safety, so I decided to endanger your life to teach you a lesson."

Yup, I think that's the camp this guy is in. I was pretty pleased afterwards when I replayed it in my mind (although in my mind there were a lot more explosions, and I was in a helicopter at one point), I said what I wanted to say calmly and politely then left immediately. Say your bit and then have it away on your toes sharpish. My journey is on mainly open roads without too many stops so I very rarely get the chance to catch up with bad drivers.

I can see why it could be good advice not to engage with them as they may turn out to be a mad murderous idiot but after nearly 3 years of cycle commuting and having this type of thing most days my feeling is generally changing from one of complete non-confrontation and 100% self preservation to a view that if no-one ever says anything then they will think that the behaviour is normal and acceptable.

Don't think I'll be getting a helmet cam just yet though

 

[Cyclopathic]

If you've followed them home it puts you in a more powerful position. You can say stuff like "I know where you live so don't do it again...And tidy up this lawn, it's a disgrace...Oooh is that lavender you've got there? Could I have a cutting..."

 

[Ravelin]

Well this happened quite a few years ago now, to my brother. It'll probably lose a bit in translation as a result but was absolutely hilarious when he told the story at the time.

My brother was cycling back from work in Glasgow one evening, along one of the major roads out of the city. It was long and straight but with a succession of fairly closely spaced traffic lights. Due to the timing of the lights by the time one turned green it was virtually impossible for any vehicle to get to the next before it turned red. As a result my brother was taking it easy between each set of lights i.e. no point accelerating up to speed just to have to brake again.

The driver of a coach behind my brother seemed to take exception to this and was driving aggressively right up behind him. As this continued my brother got fed up and pulled over, when the next set of lights were red, and "had a word" with the driver. Somehow though, and I can't remember exactly how, at some point after this the coach hit my brothers bike, damaging the rear wheel. He managed to get his bike off the main road into a side street and the coach followed. By this time my brother was rather annoyed and as the driver got off the bus my brother threw down his bike and helmet and stormed towards him. The driver hastily retreated to the bus and drove off, my brother pursuing him on foot (with road cleats on).

My brother was now stranded in Glasgow with an un-rideable bike so his wife had to drive in to pick him and the bike up. Unfortunately for the bus driver, the coach company was one that was well know to my brother as it was a small local one from where we were brought up, about 20 miles east of Glasgow. He knew exactly where the depot was and headed straight there. As they pulled up outside the depot (by now at least 1-2hrs after the incident) he immediately noticed the coach driver in the yard talking to a couple of other drivers (probably regaling a story about a mad nutter cyclist). Still in his cycling gear he stormed into the yard much to the drivers shock. He said the look on the guys face was priceless as he retreated quickly into the office.

End result was a full apology from the owner of the coach company with a promise to pay for the damage to the bike. The company owner even offered him work since my brother even then had HGV1&2 and PSV qualifications on his license (politely declined).